Locating transport as a social policy problem

This chapter describes how it is important to first have some basic understanding of the intended role of social policy in advanced industrial societies in order to understand the relevance of looking at transport from a social policy perspective. The chapter offers a brief overview of the main focus and interests of social and public policy as an academic discipline, especially for those who may be unfamiliar with this. The chapter then takes the reverse perspective to look at the role of transport in modern societies and it examines the transport policy-making tradition. The last section of the chapter identifies some additional reading in both of these areas for those who may which to further pursue this line of inquiry.